Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika were among the 13 people who died in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force said.

“Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course today. With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” the IAF tweeted.

Also Read: Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, dies in chopper crash: All you need to know

Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor, is currently under treatment at a military hospital in Wellington.

Several leaders paid their tributes to Gen Bipin Rawat.

“As India’s first CDS, Gen Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to our armed forces including defence reforms. He brought with him a rich experience of serving in the Army. India will never forget his exceptional service,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

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Condoling Gen Rawat’s death, President Ramnath Kovind tweeted, “I am shocked and anguished over the untimely demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika ji. The nation has lost one of its bravest sons. His four decades of selfless service to the motherland was marked by exceptional gallantry and heroism. My condolences to his family.”

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Calling his death “irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, tweeted, “Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.”

“My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this accident. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington,” he added.